Weather Forecast

LETTER: Time to hold leaders accountable

Fellow Americans: It is time. Remember those critical moments in the classic movies? The

scene when the reluctant and still-emerging hero makes his/her plea to his fellow settlers/citizens/soldiers/townspeople? He is at first met by stubborn silence, and by most of them staring at the ground, avoiding eye contact. Then, in obvious anguish, one of them steps forward, then another, and another, and another.

We seem to be facing that moment. "Our" president has brutally implemented inhumane policies at our borders, he has one-handedly and short-sightedly started a tariff war that will likely hurt already vulnerable citizens (farmers, factory workers, etc.), he has needlessly alienated our long-term fellow democratic allies, and he is befriending ruthless dictators, trusting their word over the cautionary voices of his own advisors and democratic institutions.

It is time for all of us — Republicans, Democrats, independents, non-voters — to step forward and put a stop to the bullying and the dishonesty.

Of course, most of us would far rather be doing something else. We have jobs to do, families to take care of. But if we truly value the freedoms and equality of living in a democracy, we need to accept the responsibility. We are the government and these are our leaders.

So, yes, we can continue staring at the ground and shrugging it off as "just politics," hoping that a super-hero will ride in and put it all to rights, or we can sigh, straighten our shoulders, and step forward. Our actions (or failure to act) will determine the kind of world we pass on to our children and grandchildren.